Industry News
Lara Gut-Behrami went into the Downhill final on Saturday, March 23, as top-ranked Downhill skier, the Giant Slalom and Super-G Crystal Globe already on the shelf, and the Downhill and Overall Crystal Globe within reach. With 369 points in the season’s rankings and second-ranked Sofia Goggia with 360 points out due to a broken leg, the Downhill Globe looked like a sure thing for the talented Swiss skier. The next best contender was Stephanie Venier from Austria with 301 points, followed by her teammate Cornelia Hütter in fourth place with 297 points, more than 60 points behind Gut-Behrami. Stephanie Venier could only beat her if she finished in at least second place and Gut-Behrami outside the top 12. With only one Downhill race this season, the one in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where she had finished in 13th, Gut-Behrami had always finished in the top 12, so it seemed an unlikely scenario.
The first skier out of the gate was New Zealand’s Alice Robinson. The Kiwi skier is not typically a Downhill skier but had qualified for the race by having accumulated more than 500 points in the FIS season and she was keen to go out with a bang. She sat the pace for the day with 1:46.68 minutes. Second starter Christina Ager from Austria quickly beat that time by more than a second, crossing the finish in 1:45.58. Ager’s time remained unbeaten for the next ten skiers, with many experienced Downhill skiers, like Federica Brignone and even teammate Stephanie Venier unable to eclipse the 28-year-old, crossing the finish 0.12 seconds behind Ager.
Then came 12th starter Cornelia Hütter, who lived up to her nickname “Full Gas Conny.” Hütter’s top section was slower but on the mid-section she came into her true form, clocking the fastest mid-section of the course and catapulting her into the lead. She carried the momentum all the way through, crossing the finish line 0.5 seconds ahead of teammate Ager. It was an Austrian podium at this point, with Hütter, Ager, and Venier. The cheers in the Austrian ski resort were wild at the prospect of an all-Austrian podium.
The 13th starter was Team USA’s Jackie Wiles, who had a great top section but could not maintain the momentum across the finish line, finishing 0.15 seconds ahead of Alice Robinson in what was ultimately 13th place.
All eyes were on bib 14 however, Lara Gut-Behrami. Would she unseat Hütter? Would she claim the Crystal Globe? With Hütter in first place, she needed at least an eighth place to claim the Downhill Crystal Globe. But the Swiss skier could never quite find the right momentum on the Saalbach course, finishing 0.29 seconds behind New Zealand’s Robinson and a whole 1.89 seconds behind Hütter. The Austrian’s eyes widened in astonishment as her arch-rival shrugged her shoulders in the finish area, wondering where she had gone wrong. The Austrian team was jumping for joy, with one coach even falling off the ladder alongside the race course. It was unexpected but not any less welcome. Everyone’s eyes scrambled to the starting list: who was left to snatch this globe from Hütter and return it to Gut-Behrami’s hands?
Austria’s Mirjam Pucher in bib 15 was next and skied into fourth place, widening the triumph for Team Austria on home ground, and rounding out the top four for Austria. Switzerland’s Priska Nufer in 16 could not keep up, finishing behind Robinson and bumping teammate Gut-Behrami further down the ranks.
Italy’s Nicol Delago in bib 17 was next and looked strong. She lost some milliseconds on the top section but was incredibly strong on the bottom section, skiing into second between Hütter and Christina Ager, breaking up the all-Austrian podium. Next up was Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec who had been having a tough season without any podiums. But Stuhec was able to shine on the Saalbach course, taking the lead ahead of Hütter near the bottom section. The Austrian crowd was glued to the race course but Stuhec could not quite carry the speed into the finish line, finishing 0.17 seconds behind Hütter. The crowd in Saalbach erupted in cheers.
Who was left to unseat their “Full Gas Conny?” Maybe Czech wonder woman Ester Ledecka in bib 19, who had won the Super-G yesterday and was known since the 2018 Olympics as a dark horse. But Ledecka finished 1.31 seconds behind Hütter, bumping Gut-Behrami further down the ranks. With only two skiers left to go, the Austrian crowd started to celebrate, Hütter’s smile was beaming as the reality dawned on her that she had indeed snatched the Downhill Crystal Globe from the legendary Gut-Behrami.
“I’m really speechless. It’s amazing to have a home race with this ending, I could have never imagined this.”
— Cornelia Hütter
It was a dramatic end to an eventful FIS World Cup season for the women. Another emotional moment on Saturday was Ragnhild Mowinckel’s last World Cup run, having announced her retirement a couple of weeks ago. The Norwegian skier in bib 6 had the slowest time but was just soaking it all up on her last run. When she crossed the finish line the five skiers in bib 1-5, Alice Robinson, Kajsa Lie, Christina Ager, Kira Weidle, and Michelle Gisin all rushed to embrace the Norwegian skier with not a dry eye in sight.
The FIS World Cup season wraps up tomorrow, Sunday March 24, with the Men’s Downhill event.
